How to Play the Charade Game

Split the group of party guests into two teams. Have them sit together on opposite sides of the room so that it is clear which people are on which team.

Give each person a note card and a pen. Have them each write a movie star, a movie or something else that someone will have to act out. Tailor your game to a specific interest if you want. For example, you could play 1980s rocker charades or Shakespeare play characters charades. Ask the team members to fold up their cards when they are finished.

Place all of the note cards from Team 1 in a bowl and place all of the note cards from Team 2 in another bowl. Place Team 1's bowl in front of Team 2 and vice versa.

Explain the gestures the players can use to indicate certain things to their team members, since they cannot speak. For example, at the beginning of their turns, players can tell their team members that they are acting out a film by forming an "O" with one hand and doing a cranking motion with the other, as if they are turning a movie camera. Make a box with your hands for a TV clue, quote marks with your fingers for a quote and put your hands together as if you are praying and then open them to indicate a book. Tell your teammates how many syllables a word has by making the same number of chopping gestures down your arm. Indicate how many words the clue has by holding up that number of fingers and tell them the word "sounds like" what you are acting out by pulling your ear.

Have the first player on Team 1 choose a note card from Team 2's bowl. Set the timer for the amount of time of your choosing. The amount of time is up to you, but it should be standard from player to player. One minute might be too short, while five minutes is too long, so choose a time somewhere between the two.

Start the timer and have the player begin acting out the information on her note card without using any sounds.

Have members of her team try to guess what she is acting out during the time allotted. If they get the answer correct, they get a point. If time runs out before they answer correctly, the opposing team gets to guess. However, the person on that team who wrote down the clue cannot tell his team members what it is or guess.

Have someone on Team 2 choose a card and act out a clue for his team, repeating the above process.

Continue this process, taking turns acting out the cards, and tally up the points at the end to determine the winner.